Advice on nursery placement please!

[Addy120]

Hi,

Can anyone help? I understand that when my son reaches 2 and a half he will be entitled to around 12hours of nursery care a week...is that right? Is it only specific nurseries that you can go to for this? Do you have to put your name down on waiting lists etc?

Hope someone can enlighten me!?

Thanks

Helen

[kristymac1]

Hi,

I think the free allocation is applied the term after the child turns 3 rather than at 2 1/2. I may be wrong, perhaps other forumites could confirm? The free entitlement applies to all nurseries which are ofsted registered I think - again, happy for confirmation from others....

[EmilyE]

Yes term after 3 (exact dates can be given by nurseries) and 5 sessions of 2 1/2 hours. You don't have to put your name down to get the funding - I think the nursery does this, but you would obviously need to find a nursery. I think they all accept it and do the admin for you.

The only catch/thing to know, is that usually nurseries do sessions of at least 3 hours, so you do pay for the remaining half hour - you can't just group your hours as you wish. And the funding only applies to school term time, whereas many nurseries go through the holidays, so you are then expected to pay full price for the holidays. Worth knowing, so you don't get caught out. Obviously the increase in fees is dramatic.

[Fuschia]

From Sept 2010 the entitlement goes up to 15h per week

http://www.southwark.gov.uk/info/200016/childcare/710/free_early_education_entitlement/1

[parkview]

Our daughter goes to a phantatstic Montessori pre-school and they have now opted out of the grant. All us parents had meetings with the provider. She explained that the grant doesn't cover their costs and so they make a loss I think about ?2 per hour per child. That's why they decided to opt out and go private and we all decided to stay. I know from friends two nurseries which closed because of the grant. They told us about this website: http://www.saveournurseries.org/

[Family Room Moderator]

Sounds like a thread for the discussion room.

[njc97]

parkview, any reason why they didn't keep claiming the grant? Our son's nursery (also montessori) claims the grant so fees are slightly lower for children who qualify. But because they only accept full time places, and because the grant doesn't cover the full costs, you still have to pay fees.

[Smiler]

Think that most privately-run nurseries that participate with the grant offer a discount rather than free hours, though not sure about this.

[Mellors]

My nursery (Puddleducks in Nunhead) let you use the 12.5 hours for free.

[tallgirl]

St Mary's Rd Pre School (St Mary's Rd) in Nunhead is open for 15 hours a week, from aged 2.5 you pay 6 pounds a day, but for 3 year olds the fees are 3 pounds per day (a pound an hour!)

[parkview]

That's what they did the last years, deducting the costs so it was cheaper once the child turned three. What they say is that the law now requires them to offer 12.5 hours for free if someone wants it like this, so they can't ask them to do more hours and pay the difference. The provider has been campaigning about this for a while and says most nursery providers are not aware that they are breaking the law if they don't offer completely free places. So if you go to your nursery and say that you only want to do 12.5 hours (or 15 hours soon) per week and the nursery says they don't offer that, they are breaking the law and you can tell the council and they loose the right to receive grants.

[Fuschia]

tallgirl Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> St Mary's Rd Pre School (St Mary's Rd) in Nunhead

> is open for 15 hours a week, from aged 2.5 you pay

> 6 pounds a day, but for 3 year olds the fees are 3

> pounds per day (a pound an hour!)

I didn't think that was legal.. topup fees can't be charged for a child who is 3+

[Fuschia]

parkview Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> That's what they did the last years, deducting the

> costs so it was cheaper once the child turned

> three. What they say is that the law now requires

> them to offer 12.5 hours for free if someone wants

> it like this, so they can't ask them to do more

> hours and pay the difference. The provider has

> been campaigning about this for a while and says

> most nursery providers are not aware that they are

> breaking the law if they don't offer completely

> free places. So if you go to your nursery and say

> that you only want to do 12.5 hours (or 15 hours

> soon) per week and the nursery says they don't

> offer that, they are breaking the law and you can

> tell the council and they loose the right to

> receive grants.

Indeed